Iceage – You’re Nothing

Danish rock enthusiasts Iceage reached critical acclaim for being the saviours of punk rock and bringing tunes with bite and angst back into the fray. Their second album You’re Nothing is a continuation of their trademark sound with the abrasive energy of their debut. Filled with semi-comprehensible lyrics and amplifiers turned up to 11, the sound of You’re Nothing is relentless and brutal.

Opening with feedback and a whirlpool of guitar noise, the album kicks off brilliantly with the ironically titled Ecstasy, where singer Elias Benner Rondefelt screams helplessly: “Pressure, pressure! Oh God no!” to a background of storming drums and doom laden riffs. You can tell you’re in for a hectic and bumpy journey over the next 11 tracks. The band’s unwillingness to settle the listener plays in their favour: you have no choice but to plunge in.

There is an unveiling of the band’s possible influences in the album’s later tracks: the opening riff to Everything Drifts is very reminiscent of Joy Division’s The Kill whereas Morals (also the album’s longest title at 3:20) has the same dissonance and sudden breakdowns as Sonic Youth’s 80s output, where everything collapses on shredding guitars.

In the second half the tone becomes more hopeful with a youthful exuberance that nonetheless retains the violently brilliant force that makes up core of the album. The belligerent vocals and insistent noise continue throughout, but with more distance from the album’s more nihilistic beginnings.

Heavy and well produced, You’re Nothing is a brilliant antidote to the softer music of artists working today. At 28 minutes long, it’s short but still has enough pulling power to draw in the listener and keep their attention.

Verdict: ••••

Conor Nyhan

You’re Nothing was released on 17th February 2013, for further information visit here.